Engineering Inc. - May/June 2008 - 18

C n n n n Morale Builders onsultant and author Beverly Kaye says taking steps to make employees feel appreciated can go miles in the attitude and morale department. here are a few inexpensive ideas about how to show appreciation to your staff: Give free tickets to sports or entertainment events. Give employees gift cards to local merchants or popular eateries. allow employees to participate in the hiring process for a new manager. Give subscriptions to favorite magazines and have them sent to employees’ homes. F Barber. “Approximately 12 percent of our employees are owners and no one owns more than 5 percent of the shares. We have a proven ownership transition plan that ensures financial stability and provides opportunities for new owners.” At David Evans, executives show their appreciation by paying employees for every hour worked. Salaried employees receive their agreed upon wage, plus a straight rate after 40 hours worked and hourly employees get time and a half. Firms also are finding ways for employees to help one another. At Malcolm Pirnie, a White Plains, N.Y.–based firm, mentoring programs to foster camaraderie have been implemented. An online system matches employees with mentors and provides the opportunity for both parties to offer feedback on their experiences. “People get their greatest career growth through experiences, through projects and through people on the job,” says Al Brockwell, Malcolm Pirnie’s director of talent and organization development. “We use mentoring in conjunction with classroom training.” David Evans employees are eligible for DEA University. The two-year-old pro- rom the beginning, our culture has centered on providing an environment for our people to flourish. Barry BarBer KImLey-horn anD assoCIates she says. “It is the major differentiator between one company and another. And the company that keeps its most talented engineers probably is going to win in the long run.” Making Connections Throughout the industry, more firms are introducing programs to help new and veteran workers feel a kinship with their employers. At Portland, Ore.–based David Evans and Associates—recently named to Fortune magazine’s 2008 list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For”—executives consider employee satisfaction a key indicator of the firm’s overall success. “Employee satisfaction is at the forefront,” says Michelle Willis, the firm’s associate director of human resources. “That, in and of itself, says that we value how our employees feel about the organization.” Barry Barber, human resources director at Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., which also made Fortune’s list, says there is no substitute for good talent. “From the beginning, our culture has centered on providing an environment for our people to flourish,” says Barber. In order to recruit and retain talented employees, Kimley-Horn offers several benefits, including employee ownership. “We are privately owned by the practicing professionals of the firm,” explains 18 ENGINEERING INC. MAY / JUNE 2008 E ngaged employees are employees who are motivated, who care about their jobs and who care about their employers. gram offers special brown bag training sessions, where staff has an opportunity to discuss everything from striking a good work-life balance to technical skills. The idea: to create an environment within the firm where everyone eventually is learning from everyone else. Put a few strong minds together in a room and good things are bound to happen, says Kaye. “Having smart peers who other engineers can problem solve with and hang out with is important. The more I can provide my team opportunities to work in tandem with one another— help one another and be creative with one another—the greater chance I have of building a positive climate.” Climbing the Ladder pameLa petrICh sarGent & LUnDy Experts agree: It is crucial to foster an environment where success is rewarded with opportunities for advancement. Gary Topchik, author of Managing Workplace Negativity, says keeping the lines of communication open along the chain of command helps employees get ahead. It also helps project managers keep team members on task and on point. “The manager has to figure out what makes each employee tick,” says Topchik. “What is the motivational factor to get that person to perform better than they’re currently performing? Is it more responsibility? Is it being more visible? Working independently? Learning something new? Once they find out what it is, if they can supply it, it’ll really help with motivation.” Sargent & Lundy, for example, is

Engineering Inc. - May/June 2008

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